Bronx News Roundup, Friday, July 8

Weather: It says on weather.com that it's 77 degrees out this Friday morning in the Bronx. But my sweat-drenched body and wardrobe begs to differ. If it is, it's a thick, muggy, shirt-sticking-to-your-back 77.  Thunderstorms are expected later today and tonight.

Story of the Day: From a Window and a Bucket, the 'Best Ices' in the Bronx
During these sweltering dog days of summer, Providence Lamuitt, an 81-year-old gramma, is probably making a a small fortune selling ices -- some say the "best ices" -- out of her apartment window on Tiebout Avenue near E. 181st Street. Lamuitt, known as "gramma" to customers, grew up experimenting with ice mixtures while growing up in her native Puerto Rico. She moved to her current apartment 30 years ago and began selling ices out of it in the mid-1990s. Her business model is simple. Customers yell up to her window for a certain flavor. She lowers a metal bucket down to the street with a rope to retrieve the money, a bargain at 50 cents a pop. Moments later, your order arrives in the same bucket. "My ices are the best because I have lots of experience," she tells the Daily News. See video below:

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Bronx News Roundup, July 6

Weather: Another hot one today, with temperatures in the high 80s and a chance of thunderstorms later. (If you or someone you know needs to get out of the heat, find one of the city's air conditioned cooling centers here).

Story of the Day: South Bronx, One End of the 'Wealth Gap'
An interesting and graphic-heavy feature from this week's New York magazine takes a comparative look at one of the nation's wealthiest Congressional districts--Manhattan's East Side--and the poorest, NY 16, or the South Bronx. Among the not-so-surprising but still-glaring differences are median income ($79,385 vs. $23,073, respectively), a typical family's weekly budget ($2,222.98 vs. $539.50), the number of Starbucks coffee shops (90 vs. 1), and the number of times Mayor Bloomberg visited each district in a year (42 vs. 10).

"Whatever is happening nationwide always manifests itself much more dramatically in the South Bronx. Always has," Congressman Jose Serrano, who has represented this district for decades, told the magazine. "When people are talking about 5 percent unemployment, we may be talking about 10 percent unemployment."

Bronx News Roundup, Thursday, June 30

Ladies and gentlemen of the Bronx and beyond, welcome to the last Bronx News Roundup of June. Here's to a lovely Independence Day weekend and a fantastic July. Now, to the news!

Weather: Absolutely gorgeous, high in the low- to mid-80s, nice little breeze to cool the sweat beads on the back of your neck. No complaints here. Tomorrow, there's a slight chance of isolate thunderstorms in the afternoon, but we doubt it.

Story of the Day: Report Says Father's Rage Led to Bronx Football Star's Death
Yesterday, we linked to the brain-twisting and tragic story of Truman High School football star Isayah Muller, who was stabbed to death in a Bedford Park parking lot just hours after his graduation ceremony at Lehman College. Today, more details have emerged. According to the NY Post, after a post-graduation meal on City Island, Isayah's father, Andre Muller, became enraged when he couldn't locate an expensive bottle of cologne in his car. After dropping off Isayah's grandmother, the father drove back to the parking lot where the family had dropped off the car during the ceremony and angrily confronted two attendants who were on duty. A brawl ensued, with one of the attendants wielding a machete and the other a makeshift knife, both weapons were apparently on hand for protection. (You know, in case an enraged man accuses you of stealing expensive cologne and you need to shank somebody.) Isayah went to help his father and was stabbed by one of the attendants, once, in the heart. He was pronounced dead a short time later at St. Barnabas Hospital. Muller was charged with assault yesterday and was released after pleading not guilty. Neither of the attendants have been charged with a crime.

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Bronx News Roundup, Wednesday, June 29

Late speed roundup today, folks.

Weather: Sunny today, might rain tomorrow afternoon. 

Quick Hits:

A post-graduation ceremony brawl in a parking lot near the Bronx's Lehman College ended with the stabbing death of Isayah Muller, a star running back for Truman High School. His father, who was also apparently involved in the fight, was charged with assault, while two parking lot attendants were questioned but not charged. I know, this makes very little sense. Hopefully we'll get some clarity soon.

Three of the four men convicted for plotting to bomb two Riverdale synagogues were sentenced to 25 years a piece, less than the life sentence prosecutors were seeking.